Indians notebook: Where’d the pitching go?

By Andy Call

Wednesday

Jul 25, 2007 at 12:01 AMJul 25, 2007 at 5:05 PM

CLEVELAND: Indians notebook from July 24

The Indians, who appeared to have a surplus of quality starting pitching when the season began, now find themselves in the same woeful situation as most everyone else in baseball.
Triple-A Buffalo right-hander Adam Miller, the top pitching prospect in the organization, has been diagnosed with inflammation in the joint of his right elbow and will be shut down for 10 to 14 days.
“Hopefully, with time and rest, we’ll have some good news,” Indians manager Eric Wedge said. “Any time you’re talking about something in that (elbow) region, it’s something you have to take a look at.”
Miller was examined Monday night by Indians team doctors and had an MRI examination Tuesday.
Indians spokesman Bart Swain said Miller experienced pain in his right elbow during his July 14 start, then more pronounced pain July 19. The most recent bad news is not believed to be directly connected to the elbow injury that caused him to miss the first half of the 2005 season or to overcompensating for the strained tendon in his middle finger that put him on the disabled list earlier this season.
The 22-year-old from Texas was the 31st overall pick in the 2003 draft and the Eastern League Pitcher of the Year at Double-A Akron last season. He pitched well in spring training and had he remained healthy was expected to be called up to the big leagues at some point this season.
Miller certainly was not healthy while giving up 21 earned runs on 26 hits in 11 innings during his three most recent starts.
Wedge said two options if the Indians need a starter are left-handers Aaron Laffey and Jason Stanford. Laffey has pitched well in the minor leagues, and Stanford made two spot starts for the Tribe earlier this summer.
“I wouldn’t count anything out,” Wedge said. “You take the hot hand.”
The other options are not as appealing. Jeremy Sowers pitched poorly in Cleveland before being demoted to Buffalo, where he has experienced similar results. Scott Lewis, Chuck Lofgren and Jackson High School graduate Shawn Nottingham are three of the organization’s better young prospects, but all are pitching at Double-A Akron.
Miller will work out at Jacobs Field in the mornings for the next 10 days, then begin a throwing program. Swain said the Indians will not immediately seek a second opinion on Miller’s elbow.
Coming Up
The series continues tonight at 7:05. Fausto Carmona (12-4, 3.52) will start against Josh Beckett (13-3, 3.41).
Pitching, Please
When Jake Westbrook’s past four starts and Cliff Lee’s past three are added together, the result is an 0-6 record, 8.10 ERA and 55 hits allowed in 40 innings.
“I don’t want to keep talking about seeing signs of them coming out of it,” Wedge said. “I want to see them coming out of it.”
Wedge said he would consider making a change in the makeup of the starting rotation despite that both have been signed to long-term contracts.
“There are no absolutes in this game,” Wedge said.
What A Deal
Coco Crisp struggled during his first season with the Red Sox but came into Tuesday hitting .284 with 15 doubles, five home runs, 38 RBIs, 17 stolen bases in 22 attempts and a string of 140 consecutive errorless games. The Indians traded Crisp to Boston in January 2006 for backup catcher Kelly Shoppach and third baseman Andy Marte, who is batting .255 with a .292 on-base percentage at Triple-A Buffalo.
“You knew Coco was going to get better this year,” Wedge said. “It’s typical of players who go to a market like Boston. He puts his heart into it.”
On the Farm
Right-hander Bobby Brownlie signed with the Indians and has been assigned to Double-A Akron. Brownlie received a $2.5 million signing bonus as a first-round draft pick by the Chicago Cubs in 2002 after starring at Rutgers. He never duplicated his collegiate success in the minor leagues and has been pitching for the independent Newark (N.J.) Bears (8-4, 3.41), where he was a teammate of former Cleveland first-round pick Corey Smith.
Reach Canton Repository sports writer Andy Call at (330) 580-8346 or andy.call@cantonrep.com.

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